Chapter 81: The Arrival of Yaya

What a mess—what nonsense is this? Chickens with lumps on their heads? Disgraceful! Useless lot! After calming herself with a sip of tea, Bai Zhanshuang quickly came up with an idea. “Let’s check again tonight. Since that creature pecks at people, it must not fear humans. Tonight, we’ll catch it like a turtle in a jar!”

“Alright,” the two men agreed to take action that evening.

Bai Jie was dragged back by the family to practice his calligraphy, and Fubao had wanted to go along, but after glancing at the book her cousin was reading, she lost interest—it was material she already knew. Her mother had made her memorize it well. So, with Bai Old Madam praying, Fubao took Huazhi to the rear garden.

Ah, water always lifts the spirit! Huazhi watched over Fubao as she played at the water’s edge, assured by the safety of grass-covered pebbles, though she wondered who had left that fat fish in the pond.

Fubao recognized the familiar fish head and was thrilled. “Chubby, how did you end up here?”

“Oh, ancestor, you finally found me!”

“Did you swim all the way here? You’re so strong!”

The fat-headed fish remained silent—she was overestimating him.

“The boss brought me here, but just dumped me and left.”

Truth be told, the fat-headed fish had suffered much: endless hardships, wandering from place to place, and constant dehydration.

His boss had eaten all of the ugly fish at the Gu residence, and just as Master Gu was sharpening his knives to slaughter him, the boss grabbed him and fled overnight.

What could he do? He was just a fish, after all. For half a month, every day his boss would toss him into another household’s courtyard water tank for a rinse, then move on. He’d endured it all—a tale of perseverance!

So inspiring!

“Your boss?”

“Yes, the duck boss.”

“Oh! Where did it go?” Fubao missed the duck dearly.

“Hmm, not sure. Heard some ugly men messed up his feathers, so he went to settle the score!”

“Oh…”

Huazhi felt bewildered watching the young lady converse with a fat fish. Could humans truly communicate with animals without boundaries?

Later that afternoon, Bai Zhanshuang, her son Bai Yuxiao, and the constable set out together to the palace to arrange their plan for catching the “turtle” that night. The group departed with great fanfare, while Fubao brought her secret stash of snacks to the rear garden, intending to nourish the fat-headed fish, who had grown skinny from hunger.

The fat-headed fish opened his mouth wide, eagerly awaiting a treat from his little benefactress, but the snack never arrived. He blinked—and saw a fat bird’s backside right in front of him!

Ah, the boss had returned! Yet after all the hardships, why was the boss still so plump, while he, poor fish, was thinner than ever?

Fat-headed fish: This isn’t fair!

“Duck, you’re here! I missed you so much!” Fubao smothered the bird’s head with kisses—she truly missed him.

“Weren’t you off fighting the bad guys? Back so soon?”

“A few humans couldn’t stop me!” The duck boasted grandly.

In reality, the Court of Justice had so many people and was so well fortified—if he got caught, who knows what would happen? The duck considered, then decided revenge could wait ten years.

“That’s good! I’ve hidden some snacks here. Half for you, half for Chubby.” Fubao split her already meager snacks, and now they were even less.

Duck: … So little?

With the fat-headed fish wailing, the duck gobbled up all the snacks and burped contentedly.

Delicious!

That night, the duck slept in Bai Mansion’s lotus pond. As for the palace—he’d wait until his digestion settled, maybe ten days or half a month. Though the fish there were tasty, as a bird who loved beauty, he’d wait until his figure recovered.

Time to sleep!

And so, the Prime Minister waited all night in vain, not even a feather in sight. Buffeted by cold wind until dawn, he returned home and soaked himself in a medicinal bath!

“Achoo!”